Message control

by Maud |September 9th, 2005

Maud here. I’m cutting in on Annie’s clock to follow up on my prior post about FEMA’s attempts to censor coverage of Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. As you may recall, the PEN American Center and other free speech groups denounced the FEMA restrictions.

So when reporters do their jobs — you know, actually report what they see and call the government on it, rather than carrying water for the sitting administration — their abilities to see and to report are curtailed. Or, as Marshall says:

Take a moment to note what’s happening here: these are the marks of repressive government, which mixes inefficiency with authoritarianism. The crew that couldn’t get key aid on the scene in time last week is coming in in force now. And one of the key missions appears to be cutting off public information about what’s happening in the city.